How the Technology Industry is Enabling Transformation

This two-part panel discussion is kick-started by Microsoft’s forthright Chief Marketing Officer, Paul Bolt. Bolt reflects on life at Microsoft and the driving forces changing how we live and work.

On inclusivity and accessibility, Bolt reveals some of the phenomenal tools enabling people to work effectively.

Microsoft isn’t immune to disruption; how is the tech giant managing its own digital transformation? And what fundamentals remain true in this cloud era?

The first panel session – Modern Workplace – is hosted by Peter Wilson, IT Lab’s Head of Technology Consulting Services. Wilson is joined by IT Lab’s Technology Strategy Consultant Erin McCall and Content and Code’s Principal Technology Strategist Steve Goodman.

The panel explores a common problem for many organisations: how best to communicate and collaborate? We’ve all experienced overflowing email boxes, which has led to a proliferation of other communication tools, such as Skype and Yammer. The trouble is, they’ve become so disaggregated they’re hindering our ability to work effectively.

Too much choice creates another challenge: which tool is best for each situation? The panel unpacks the solution: Microsoft Teams, which brings everything together. How is Teams superior to the alternatives? What are the user and organisational benefits?

As well as talking tech, Wilson leads the debate on system adoption. How do you get your users on board?

The Modern Workplace panel concludes with examples of how technologies like AI – often perceived as futuristic - are easier to access than you think.

30 minutes in, Wilson leads the second panel: Service Management in the Cloud. He’s joined by ServiceNow’s Chief Innovation Officer Paul Hardy, Devoteam’s Vice President Bert Schaap and IT Lab’s Director of Business Systems Kevin O’Brien.

Wilson sets the scene: it’s not just about great tech. What about the efficiency of our processes and services?

Schaap entertains with his recent experience at an airport, demonstrating the opposite of ATM compliant technology! The panel explores how to manage change, including:

- What’s the first thing you should ask before applying new tech?

- Shifting the focus: treating departments and users like consumers

- User adoption – the right and wrong

- ServiceNow and the holy grail of ITIL

- Enjoyable user experiences by learning from the past

The Service Management in the Cloud panel concludes with insights on the workplace of the future.